Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 4 air
bags. Please
verify the air bags equipped on your vehicle by locating the “SRS AIRBAG”
location
indicators. These indicators are visible in the area where the air bags are
installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
- The steering wheel hub (driver air bag).
- The passenger dashboard (passenger air bag).
- The outboard sides of the seatbacks (side air bags).
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide
supplemental protection
in certain situations, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during
an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to: - Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.
- Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for
air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
- Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal, side collisions
that are not
severe enough to activate the air bags.
- Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
- Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident
because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
- Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
For some models, a passenger air bag deactivation switch is provided. This
switch should
be used to deactivate the passenger front and side air bags and also the
passenger seat belt
pretensioner system if a child-restraint system is installed on the passenger
seat. Make sure
the passenger air bag deactivation switch is in the ON position except when a
childrestraint
system is installed on the passenger seat. Refer to Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation
Switch .
Your vehicle is also equipped with a driver and passenger occupant
classification
system. For details, refer to the driver and passenger occupant classification
system.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by the deployment of the passenger air
bag in the
unlikely event of an accident, there are two methods to deactivate the passenger
air bag as
follows, however, the surest way to prevent the passenger air bag from deploying
is to use
the ignition key to turn it off rather than rely on the passenger seat weight
sensors, which
will also detect other loads or objects on and around the passenger seat.
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by
law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a
child-restraint
system .
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and
follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint
system
manufacturer's instructions.
Do not use a child-restraint system which employs an upper tether because there
is no
appropriate means to anchor the tether.
WARNING:
Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles:
Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous.
Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can
be
expected to inflate only in the first accident, such as frontal, near frontal,
side
collisions that are at least moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat
belts.
Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is
illuminated
when using a rear-facing child-restraint system:
Seating a child in a rear-facing child-restraint system that is installed on the
passenger seat with the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not
illuminated is extremely dangerous. In an accident, a air bag could inflate and
cause
serious injuries or even death to the child seated in the rear-facing
child-restraint
system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is
illuminated using the key to turn the passenger air bag off.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch .
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors .
Do not sit too close to the driver and passenger air bags:
Sitting too close to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing hands
or
feet on them is extremely dangerous. The driver and passenger air bags inflate
with
great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someone is too close. The
driver
should always hold onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The seat passenger
should keep both feet on the floor. Seat occupants should adjust their seats as
far
back as possible and always sit upright against the seatbacks with seat belts
worn
properly.
Do not sit too close to a door or lean against doors in vehicles with side
air bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is
extremely
dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of
the
outboard shoulder of the seat and expands along the door on the side the car is
hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or
leaning
against a window in the seats. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or
hanging
out the driver-side window while driving could block the side air bag and
eliminate
the advantages of supplemental protection. Give the side air bags room to work
by
sitting in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts
worn
properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and passenger air bags
deploy:
Attaching an object to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing
something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could
interfere
with air bag inflation and injure the occupants.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:
Attaching things to the seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat
in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side
air
bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that
is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Never use seat covers on the seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not place luggage or other objects under the seats:
Placing luggage or other objects under the seats is dangerous. The components
essential to the supplemental restraint system could be damaged, and in the
event of
a side collision, the appropriate air bags may not deploy, which could result in
death
or serious injury. To prevent damage to the components essential to the
supplemental restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the
seats.
Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air
bags
have inflated:
Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated is dangerous. Immediately after inflation, they are very hot. You
could
get burned.
Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo
bar,
bull bar, push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is
dangerous. The
air bag crash sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to
inflate
unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from inflating during an
accident.
Occupants could be seriously injured.
Do not modify the suspension:
Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the
suspension is modified, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a
collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of
serious
injuries.
Do not modify the supplemental restraint system:
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Do not make
any modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing
trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag modules. It also includes installing
extra
electrical equipment on or near system components or wiring. An Authorized Mazda
Dealer can provide the special care needed in the removal and installation of
seats. It
is important to protect the air bag wiring and connections to assure that the
bags do
not accidentally deploy, the driver seat slide position sensor and passenger
seat
weight sensors are not damaged and that the seats retain an undamaged air bag
connection.
NOTE:
- When an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke
will be released.
Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may cause light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
- Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag
systems and that
familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is
important.
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